Losing a significant amount of weight is a major accomplishment that can positively impact many facets of a person’s life. From improved self-confidence to better health outcomes, weight loss comes with a variety of benefits. One interesting question is whether other people treat you differently after a dramatic weight loss. In this article, we’ll explore if people treat you better after losing weight, looking at the research and personal experiences around this topic.
Do people notice your weight loss?
The short answer is yes, people do tend to notice when someone loses a substantial amount of weight. This is especially true for individuals who you see regularly, like family, friends, and coworkers. There are a few reasons people take note when you slim down:
– It’s a visible, external change that is easy to observe. Losing 20, 50, or 100+ pounds can transform your appearance and make your weight loss obvious.
– People are attuned to take note of changes in others’ appearance in general. Not just weight changes but changes in hair style, fashion, facial hair, etc.
– Losing weight, especially larger amounts, alters your body shape, size, and proportions which people will pick up on.
– Weight loss oftentimes affects your energy levels, mood, self-confidence and behavior which friends and family will likely notice.
– Significant weight loss is an accomplishment worth celebrating and commenting on. People close to you will observe the hard work you put in to shed pounds.
So in most cases, yes those around you will take note when you’ve lost weight, especially if it’s a dramatic transformation of 50 pounds or more. Subtle weight fluctuations of 5-10 pounds may go unnoticed but major weight loss is readily apparent.
Do people compliment your weight loss?
When people around you notice visible weight loss, many will provide compliments and positive feedback. Telling someone they look great after losing weight is generally seen as a socially acceptable compliment. Some of the comments you may hear include:
– Wow, have you lost weight? You look amazing!
– You look incredible, have you been dieting?
– I barely recognized you, you look fantastic – have you lost weight?
– Looking good girl, keep up the hard work!
– You’re looking really healthy, any weight loss secrets to share?
– Whatever you’re doing, it’s working – you look great!
Complimenting someone on their weight loss or physical transformation is often coming from a place of kindness and admiration for their hard work to improve their health and appearance. Most comments are well-intentioned and meant to be supportive.
However, some people may feel uncomfortable with too much unsolicited feedback on their body, so use discretion. Stick to simple praise like “you look great” instead of commenting on specific amounts of pounds lost. Let the person share details if they wish.
Why do people compliment weight loss?
There are several reasons people feel compelled to compliment weight loss:
– **Social norms:** It’s socially acceptable and expected to praise weight loss. Many see it as an accomplishment worthy of acknowledgement.
– **Assumption it’s intentional:** People assume the weight loss was deliberate through diet and exercise, so it’s a purposeful transformation.
– **Appearance matters:** Losing weight is often seen as automatically improving your looks, based on societal beauty standards.
– **Health:** Many equate lower weight with increased health, even if that’s not always true. They may compliment the perceived positive health impact.
– **Politeness:** Some compliments are just trying to be nice and encouraging. Saying “you look great” is polite conversation.
– **Curiosity:** Compliments may be probing to find out your “secret” and weight loss tactics.
While compliments on weight loss often come from a good place, they aren’t always welcome or appropriate. Use discretion based on the individual’s feelings.
Do people treat you differently after significant weight loss?
Beyond direct compliments on your appearance, do people behave differently towards you after major weight loss? Research shows the way people perceive and act towards slender versus overweight individuals is noticeably different.
Some of the biggest changes in treatment after losing weight include:
– **Increased respect:** Higher levels of respect are automatically given to thinner individuals in many settings.
– **More friendly:** People are more likely to smile, make eye contact, and be friendly to someone they perceive as thin.
– **Enhanced career prospects:** Job applicants and employees receive preferential treatment when thinner, studies show.
– **Dating boost:** Romantic prospects and desirability increase for thinner dating candidates.
– **Social benefits:** Better treatment from strangers and more social dominance in groups is given to those at lower weights.
– **Less judgment:** People make fewer negative assumptions about your traits like laziness or lack of discipline when thinner.
– **More confidence:** Others place more confidence in your abilities and competence after weight loss.
While very unfair, weight bias is real and demonstrated repeatedly by research. Losing weight, especially dramatic amounts, leads to notably improved treatment from others.
Why does weight loss change how people interact with you?
Discrimination based on size and weight, whether conscious or unconscious, is driven by several factors:
– **Bias against overweight:** Unfair stereotypes that overweight equals lazy, sloppy, less capable. Thinner is seen as more disciplined.
– **Media portrayals:** Media reinforces stereotypes of the slender ideal body type and stigmatizes higher weights.
– **Desire to conform:** Treating thinner people better is a way to conform to expected social norms.
– **Beauty ideals:** Thinness is inaccurately equated with beauty and attractiveness. Pressure to follow standards.
– **Assumptions about health:** Lower weight is often assumed to mean better health, even if untrue for the individual.
– **Power dynamics:** Thinness is associated with status, privilege, and power in society. People respond to perceived power.
– **Romantic appeal:** Potential partners are judged more desirable when thinner, an unfair bias.
While discrimination based on body size is unethical, these factors explain why dramatic weight loss can alter people’s responses. Keep in mind that people’s attitudes reveal their own biases, not your worth.
Does the amount of weight lost impact how people treat you?
Does the specific amount of pounds shed affect how significantly people’s attitudes and behaviors change towards you? Research indicates that larger amounts of weight lost lead to bigger shifts in how you are perceived and treated. Some patterns based on studies:
– Losing 5-15 pounds has a minor impact. Subtle improvements in social treatment.
– Losing 15-40 pounds leads to more noticeable differences, especially from acquaintances.
– Losing 40-100+ pounds results in major changes in respect, friendliness, social status.
Likely this is because more drastic visible transformations disrupt people’s automatic assumptions and stereotypes the most. If your appearance changes radically, they are forced to reassess biases linked to your previous size.
However, people’s internal beliefs and prejudices also play a role. Someone predisposed to make biased judgments about overweight individuals may continue to treat you poorly even after major weight loss. Discrimination is about their worldview, not a reflection on you.
Are women treated differently than men after losing weight?
Do women experience greater changes than men in how they are perceived and treated by others after losing significant weight? Unfortunately, research indicates that weight loss in women does lead to significantly more substantial changes in how they are seen and evaluated.
Some key differences women experience compared to men:
– **Appearance compliments:** Women receive far more compliments focused on physical attractiveness and beauty after weight loss.
– **Sexual interest:** Weight loss in women is more likely to prompt overt sexual interest and comments from men.
– **Likeability:** Dropping pounds leads to much greater increases in perceived likeability and social charm for women.
– **Marriage prospects:** Thinner women are judged as more desirable marriage partners and mothers.
– **Career:** Thinner women experience greater boosts in perceived workplace competence and career opportunities than men.
– **Health assumptions:** People assume even modest weight loss leads to big health improvements for women, but not men.
– **Social power:** Thinner women gain more notable increases in perceived social dominance and power than men.
This reflects the strong gender biases, sexualization of women’s bodies, and double standards still prevalent in society. Women’s bodies are judged more harshly and social worth tied more closely to appearance and thinness.
Do you get treated better by everyone after losing weight?
While many people will treat you better and show more respect after major weight loss, this is not universally true. Some key points:
– Family and close friends who know you well are less likely to change behavior based only on weight. Your relationship has history and depth beyond appearance.
– Younger people and generations may be less biased about weight. Not guaranteed, but some show less discrimination.
– Those committed to body positivity, feminism, and fat acceptance are more likely to judge you as a whole person, not just weight.
– People who have struggled with eating disorders or their own body image are less likely to define you by size.
– Your own self-confidence impacts how others see you. More confidence after weight loss can influence improved treatment.
– Kind, ethical people will make an effort not to judge you differently based on appearance. Focus on these quality relationships.
While losing weight may change how society at large perceives and treats you, remember your true friends and loved ones know you have inner qualities beyond your body. Focus less on fairweather acquaintances and more on those core relationships.
Does better treatment from weight loss feel good?
Many people assume that thinner individuals love all the added praise, flattery, and admiration they receive after weight loss. Losing weight surely feels empowering and positive in many ways, but does all the sudden preferential treatment feel as amazing as expected?
Well, it’s complicated. Some positives:
– Feels good to have hard work and discipline recognized
– Ego boost to get more sexual attention if single
– Confidence rises when abilities taken more seriously
But also some negatives:
– Resentment at feeling judged and pigeonholed while overweight
– Frustration that people are so superficial
– Discomfort with objectification and sexualization
– Pressure to maintain thin ideal to “keep” positive treatment
– Regret about missing opportunities when overweight
The drastic difference in how society treats thinner versus overweight people is eye-opening after weight loss. Yes, it’s nice to have your hard work celebrated. But it’s also disillusioning to realize people judge you so differently based on size alone. Appreciate the positives while recognizing the injustice.
Do you become judgier of overweight people?
An uncomfortable truth is that losing a lot of weight sometimes leads people to become more judgmental towards overweight and obese individuals. Does slimming down impact your perceptions?
Some areas this can happen:
– Having newfound confidence in your willpower and discipline makes it hard to understand people struggling with weight.
– You may inaccurately assume if you can lose weight, anyone can if they just tried like you did.
– The frustration of being treated poorly when overweight turns into resentment.
– Internalized fatphobia not resolved may creep into your new mental patterns.
– Feeling pressure to distance yourself from past identity as an overweight person.
– Buying into the false narrative that thinner always equals healthier.
To avoid developing harsh judgments, remind yourself:
– Bodies have natural diversity – there is no one “right” way to look.
– Health is complex – weight is not always within someone’s control.
– Systemic factors like poverty and poor access to nutrition disproportionately affect marginalized groups.
– You don’t know someone’s health history, genetics, or mental health challenges.
With empathy and open-mindedness, it’s possible to become more enlightened rather than judgmental after a weight loss journey.
Does weight loss help your career?
Yes, multiple studies confirm that losing weight and having a lower BMI provides concrete career and workplace advantages. Some of the ways weight loss can improve job prospects and treatment:
– Increased hiring chances – thin applicants are more likely to be hired over equally qualified heavier peers.
– Higher salaries – thinner employees often earn slightly more than equally competent larger employees.
– Faster promotions – weight bias means thinner individuals advance into leadership roles at a higher clip.
– More leadership potential seen – decision-makers assume larger bodies lack leadership capability.
– Greater authority – comments and ideas from thinner people are taken more seriously and implemented.
– Enhanced professional image – weight loss leads colleagues to perceive you as more capable, disciplined, and professional.
– Increased customer preference – research shows customers prefer to interact with thinner service employees.
– Improved teamwork – thinner individuals are more sought after for prominent group projects and collaborations.
While clearly unjust, weight bias in workplaces is thoroughly documented. Losing weight – or just being thin – unfortunately leads to career advantages.
Does dieting affect treatment better than natural weight loss?
An interesting question is whether the method of your weight loss impacts how people respond to you. Does losing weight through active dieting versus a more natural process lead to differences in how you’re treated? Some key takeaways:
– Dramatic dieting is more likely to get you compliments and attention since it’s visible you “worked for it”.
– But dieting also leads to more weight stigmatizing assumptions like “good self control” versus “lack of discipline”.
– Natural or gradual weight loss from lifestyle change may be less likely to alter treatment since it’s less noticeable.
– With natural weight loss, you avoid pressures and judgment around extreme dieting habits.
– Focus should be on your own health, not manipulating external appearance-based treatment from others.
The bottom line is that weight loss of any kind can lead to positive and negative social effects. Don’t worry about exactly how you lose pounds. Focus on body positivity, self-care, and serving as a role model.
Should you avoid talking about weight loss?
This depends on the setting, but in many close relationships, it can be helpful not to fixate too much on weight loss details. Here’s some guidance on when to minimize weight loss talk:
– With loved ones who knew you before, focus conversations on non-weight topics and shared memories. Don’t let weight define you.
– In feminist, body positive, and HAES spaces, weight loss talk can sometimes upset others if not handled carefully. Tread lightly.
– With very overweight friends or family, resist urges to push unsolicited diet advice or pressure to conform to your transformation.
– In professional settings, talk about accomplishments, not sizes. Don’t let weight loss become your identity.
– On social media, be mindful of levels of weight talk that may unintentionally hurt your audience or feed into diet culture.
That said, there are also contexts where sharing weight loss details can be positive:
– When specifically asked by a close loved one, share your journey selectively.
– In forums devoted specifically to weight loss, commiserate and swap tips with those who relate.
– Inspire others struggling with weight selectively by leading as a positive role model, not just touting numbers.
– Build a nuanced public platform if you have influence, focusing on holistic wellness over pounds dropped.
Overall, focus on more than just your weight. Share your journey when appropriate but avoid making it the sole focus.
Conclusion
Losing significant weight understandably leads to notable changes in how people perceive and treat you, thanks to unfair societal biases. While boosted confidence and recognition of hard work can feel great, being judged so differently based on size alone also feels disillusioning and frustrating. Remember your worth comes from within, not a number on the scale. Surround yourself with people who appreciate all your qualities, at any size. And use your journey to cultivate empathy for others, not judgment.